novelraw Chapter 382: I Understand
Chapter 382: I Understand
Mo Yuan took a step forward, his aura restrained but ready to surge forth at any moment. "They only see the potential chaos your identity might bring, but they fail to see the infinite possibilities hidden beneath that chaos!
Think about it, Su Zhan!
You are the first in human history, and perhaps the only one, who can perfectly integrate the two power systems of Awakened individuals and Aberrants!
You possess a unique path of limitless growth through hunting Mist Creatures!
Your understanding of the Mist, your inherent advantage against those monsters, is something no pure-blooded human or ordinary Aberrant can ever match!
Daxia has been struggling against the Mist for over three hundred years. The situation grows increasingly difficult, internal strife is constant, geniuses emerge generation after generation yet fail to reverse the overall decline... We are all groping in the dark.
And you, Su Zhan!"
Mo Yuan pointed a finger at Su Zhan from a distance, his eyes blazing with fervor. "You are that variable that tears through the darkness, the greatest variable in over three hundred years.
Your very existence has the potential to shatter humanity's predicament!
They want to strangle you out of fear and short-sightedness.But I, I see your potential because I see the future, I see hope.
I see the key that might truly lead us out of this quagmire and launch a counterattack against the Mist!"
These words carried immense weight, forming a stark contrast to the previous attitude of Daxia's high command.
Mo Yuan was not blindly offering shelter, but rather making a high-stakes gamble based on a profound understanding of Su Zhan's potential.
Su Zhan listened quietly, the golden vertical pupils in his eyes flickering with light.
Mo Yuan's words had lifted him from the mire of personal grievances, elevating him to a grand stage concerning the fate of an entire race.
This was not merely protection.
It was recognition of his talent, an acknowledgment that saw him as a fellow traveler on the same path.
A long silence followed.
Su Zhan looked at Mo Yuan. "I understand."
He felt a surge of gratitude.
His journey thus far had undoubtedly been filled with thorns, but at several critical junctures, there had always been one or two benefactors who extended a hand to pull him up.
Teacher Wang Mingyuan was undoubtedly the most important benefactor in his life.
When he was just an ordinary freshman at Vermilion Bird Academy, it was Teacher Wang who discovered his potential, provided meticulous guidance, and helped him solidify his foundation.
When his identity was exposed and he was forced into a corner by Qin Bai, it was Teacher Wang who withstood the pressure, maneuvered on his behalf, and even dared to oppose the Aberrant Purge Division.
That Reforge Fruit was less of a repayment and more of a meager attempt, within his means, to make up for that immense debt of gratitude.
Dean Ye Hongyu could perhaps be counted as half a benefactor.
Her support was more based on the academy's interests and Daxia's, tinged with calculation and trade-offs.
But at the crucial moment, she did indeed secure those precious seven days for him, which was akin to receiving charcoal in snowy weather at the time.
And Mo Yuan...
Su Zhan's gaze fell upon the unfathomable City Lord of Black City before him.
This man was, without a doubt, a benefactor of immense weight.
When he was at his wit's end, struggling out of the Mist World covered in wounds and secrets, it was Mo Yuan who took him in and offered him the sanctuary of Black City.
Not only did he not pry deeply into his origins, but he also bestowed upon him the highest courtesy and trust, provided excellent cultivation resources, and even granted him access to the secret location three thousand meters underground.
And now, despite knowing the potential tsunami his dual identity might bring, he still chose to stand firmly by his side.
This recognition of talent, this unreserved trust and support, its intensity and boldness far surpassed the ordinary.
Su Zhan had always been resilient by nature, accustomed to facing everything alone, burying all dependence deep within.
But at this moment, he had to admit.
In terms of benefactors, he might be... fortunate.
If not for Wang Mingyuan, he might have broken under Qin Bai's interrogation long ago, or his talent might have remained hidden, unable to grow rapidly.
If not for Ye Hongyu, he wouldn't even have had the chance to flee into the Mist.
If not for Mo Yuan, even if he had survived his return from the Mist World, he would have been like a stray dog with nowhere to go, let alone cultivate peacefully to the Calamity-level and possess the confidence he now had to face the storm head-on.
These benefactors had played decisive roles at the most important turning points in his life.
Returning to his residence within the City Lord's Residence.
Su Zhan stood alone in the center of the quiet room.
Mo Yuan's staunch support warmed his heart and filled him with gratitude, but he was absolutely not the kind of person who would entrust his safety entirely to the protection of others.
Even if that other person was Mo Yuan.
He had to have his own plans.
"City Lord Mo might be able to keep me safe within Black City..."
Su Zhan analyzed calmly. "...but I would be forever confined here."
That was absolutely not what he wanted.
Moreover, since Daxia's high command had already made up their minds, they might resort to more extreme measures.
Placing all hope on Mo Yuan's personal strength alone was too passive.
Then, leave Black City?
Venture into the Mist World again?
No, no, no...
The Mist World was no paradise.
Last time, his survival and breakthrough to Calamity-level involved a significant element of luck.
He happened to encounter a large-scale Mist Surge, which drew the high-end combatants of the Mist World to Blue Star, leaving its interior relatively empty and allowing him to survive in the cracks.
Now that the Mist Surge has temporarily receded, those terrifying entities have likely returned. Venturing deep into it recklessly now would be no different from seeking death.
That was not a solution; it was the last resort when all other options were exhausted.
"I've been running my whole life..."
Su Zhan's eyes flashed with unwillingness. "...from Vermilion Bird Academy to the Mist World, then hiding my identity and fleeing to Black City from the Mist World... Do I have to run again this time?"
He was tired of this life of constant evasion.
He had raised his strength to the Calamity-level, possessed the power of a dual identity. If he still had to hide like a rat in the sewers, then what was the point of this power?
He needed to break the deadlock!
Feeling restless and troubled.
Su Zhan subconsciously picked up the tablet device placed nearby.
The screen lit up, and one push notification after another about the Five Great Academies' Grand Competition immediately popped up, filling the entire screen.
The spectacle of a global live broadcast...
The passion of geniuses clashing...
And also... the pessimism and skepticism directed at Vermilion Bird Academy and his few teammates...
Su Zhan's gaze was originally just sweeping over them casually.
But the next second, his eyes fixed sharply on the screen.
Su Zhan's eyes suddenly lit up.
The Five Great Academies' Grand Competition!
That's right... there!
That place might be the key to breaking the deadlock he had been searching for!
Due to the previous border war, the Grand Competition had been postponed for half a year.
This half-year of suppression and war trauma meant the entire nation of Daxia urgently needed a grand event to boost morale.
The authorities had initiated an unprecedented nationwide live broadcast, mobilizing all propaganda channels to focus the entire society's attention on it.
This was the advantage of timing.
Identity.
He, Su Zhan, was indeed a registered student of Vermilion Bird Academy!
Although his "deceased" record had not yet been expunged, procedurally speaking, he was fully qualified to represent Vermilion Bird Academy in the competition.
This was legitimate geographical advantage.
Strength.
Those geniuses from various academies who were being hyped to the skies, with their so-called SSS-grade Life Souls, their Abyss Realm initial-stage, mid-stage?
Before his absolute strength of Ocean Realm first-stage combined with Calamity-level first-stage, they were like fireflies compared to the bright moon.
Winning the competition held no suspense for him.
This was the advantage of popular support.